


Accidentally

by purpletheory



Category: House M.D.
Genre: Denial, Falling In Love, Fluff, M/M, Male Slash
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-19
Updated: 2015-08-07
Packaged: 2018-03-13 20:11:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3394841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/purpletheory/pseuds/purpletheory
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>House kisses Chase and then pretends it was an accident. Chase tries to get him to acknowledge that he wanted it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Accidentally

It was late at night and the hospital's lights were dimming. Chase was standing by the coffee maker, waiting for his cup to brew and he was singing softly to the music filtering into the room through House's office. House turned off his CD player and it took Chase a few moments to realize that the music had stopped and he was singing by himself.

House set his bag on one of the chairs and shrugged his motorcycle jacket on, wincing as his leg twinged. He was on his way out and towards home but Chase had a late night shift. Instead of stopping, Chase kept singing and finished the song, turning and smiling lightly at his boss. "Do you want a cup of coffee before you go?" House was slightly startled by the offer, his ducklings rarely offered to do anything for him. He nodded and came to stand by the blond, leaning his good hip into the counter.

Chase hummed more of the tune to the song and poured the freshly brewed coffee.

It smelled great.

He slid the cup over to house and took a sip of his own before putting it down and licking his lips.

That's when House lurched forward, almost as if his body was doing it without the mind's order, and he pushed Chase onto the counter. The Australian's head hit the cabinets above the counter with a loud thud and he gave a soft cry of surprise. House's fingers slid into Chase's hair, and he kissed him forcefully, his lips meeting Chase's surprised ones with almost bruising force, but immediately it melted into a soft kiss. House pushed his body in between Chase's legs and kissed him harder. Chase moaned and his surprised eyes fluttered closed.

Chase smelled absolutely divine. Like coffee and sunlight.

Just as suddenly as it had started, it stopped. House pulled his mouth off of Chase's full lips and gasped. He pushed his forehead against Chase's wild hair and breathed what could have been either a rushed apology or an insult in German. He pushed away from the young man, staggering as he found his cane and strode out of the office, not looking back at the stunned and gaping Australian still sitting on the counter with his tie askew and his lips red from being kissed so forcefully. House couldn't get out of the hospital fast enough. He jumped, as well as his bad leg could allow, onto his motorcycle and he only noticed that he had left his bag at the hospital when he was home and downing his second glass of whiskey.

He didn't know what had come over him, he just heard the sweet melody coming from Chase's lips and he watched as he took a sip of coffee and then licked his lips with a peek of a pink tongue. All of a sudden it seemed like he needed to taste those lips too. Had Chase moaned or was that his imagination? House shook his head and endeavored to forget about it. He drank three more glasses of whiskey and limped to bed.

* * *

 

Chase sat up on that counter for a good 10 minutes, or so it felt like it when he finally got down. House had just passionately kissed him.

What the actual fuck.

He turned back to his now lukewarm coffee and took a sip. He couldn't make another thought before foreman and Cameron came into the conference room debating something heatedly. They both stopped when they saw Chase.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," Foreman said with a chuckle, "What happened?"

Chase gulped and flushed bright red. Cameron came closer and said, "It looks like you've been kissing someone."

Chase cursed her silently as his face heated up even more. "You HAVE been kissing someone! Who was it?!" Cameron said in an enthusiastic tone.

Chase mentally thanked Foreman for saving him from what would have been a horribly made lie as he said, "Oh leave him alone, Allison. He is entitled to his privacy."

The two packed up their things, hung up their lab coats, and left with parting words to Chase, empathizing with his late shift. Chase had hardly moved from the spot. He sighed as they moved from his sight and rubbed his hands over his face. His fingers lingered over his lips and he imagined that he could still feel the slightly dry lips and scratchy stubble of his boss brushing against his lips. He shook his head violently. He had LIKED it for god's sake.

He stormed off in the direction of the ER suddenly furious with House for pulling a stupid stunt like that. Bet the man would throw up if he knew Chase had loved the feeling of being kissed by him. This was just some elaborate joke. The tiny voice in his head that said that House sure seemed sincere and passionate then, was squashed as Chase went about the nights duties.

* * *

 

House came in much later than he usually did on account of the horrible hangover he suffered from after his night of five whiskeys. He was limping worse than usual because he had fallen out of the shower, effectively breaking the curtain rod and tearing the curtain itself. He had laid there half bent out of the shower, blearily wondering why he had tried to drink himself stupid this time. When the reason floated to him through his rending headache, he groaned out loud and banged his fist against the toilet lid. The water was spraying across the bathroom tile so he got up, slowly washed himself and turned the water off. Now he was dressed in rumpled clothes and frowning at the nurses as he walked to the elevators.

Snapping at a wayward kid, and then tripping him with his cane, he was joined by a vengeful looking Cuddy.

"I'm busy." He said before she could even begin her tirade.

She snorted derisively, "I see that; busy tripping little children, being late, and looking like someone just ate your last cookie." She said the last observation with a note of curiosity and House all but groaned at it.

"If you go away I will actually do my clinic hours this afternoon." The woman arched her eyebrows in genuine surprise. It was not often, in fact never, that House offered clinic hours without Cuddy twisting his arm somehow.

House realized she was even more curious than before and snarked at her, "Unless-" He got no farther as she said, "Yes, sounds good, I'll just be on my way."

House was late enough that Wilson was already embroiled in telling people they were dying of the emperor of all maladies and so he was left alone for the remainder of the journey to his office. He kept his face excruciatingly neutral when all he wanted to do was pout, quit, find and strangle the damned Aussie, or mourn his professionalism. None of the ducklings were in the conference room and House took this as a sign to drop his guard, if even for a moment. He glanced at the counter where he had pushed his employee up and forced a kiss on him.

He raised his fist in a mock gesture of triumph; he hadn't had a case of sexual harassment brought against him yet. This could just be his first one! Sighing, he grabbed his abandoned bag and tottered into his office. He got all of two steps when he heard his name in a distinct Australian accent. He froze, immediately wishing he were anywhere but his own office. He turned to see the blond sprawled across his own couch completely passed out. House let out a whoosh of breath that he only now realized he'd been holding but his mind immediately whirred at the sight of the man.

Chase was lying on his stomach with his leg hanging off and head pillowed on a forearm. He had a faint half smile on his lips and he drooled slightly. House took a step back, thinking he had dreamed the sound of his name, when the damned Aussie said it again, it coming out like a whisper, his mouth quirking up on the left side. The man he had kissed last night was sleeping in front of him and saying his name in his sleep with a dreamy smile on his face. House quietly crossed the room to his chair, divesting himself of his coat and driving gloves. He sat in his chair, never taking his eyes off the sleeping man.

"Le what?" House whispered with a mock French accent. He cocked his head and pondered his youngest duckling. He couldn't deny that the man was attractive, he was, apparently achingly so, going by the pang in his chest as he looked at him. Chase breathed out a few nonsense words and rubbed his cheek on his arm s little restlessly. Maybe he had just killed House in his dreams, which would account for the smile on his lips as he uttered the diagnostician's name. House steepled his fingers and glared at what was now his new problem. He didn't bother trying to find the answer as to why he had fervently kissed his employee, for he probably knew why and was in denial of that knowledge. It sure sounded like him. He would be struck with it later while doing some mundane task like prescribing antihistamines and blood pressure medication.

No, he focused on how to deal with the repercussions of those actions. House determined to ignore it for the time being. He would go talk to Wilson, and get some sappy advice fraught with accurate descriptions of his usual actions and why he should do that exact opposite.

He wouldn't listen to him of course.

He got up slowly and crept for the door. The doctor on the couch mumbled something else and then gave a low moan that made house stop moving as a tingle went done his spine, straight to his groin. He stared down at the man in astonishment. Had he actually got half hard at a simple sound from his lips? At the thought of those lips, the older man nearly moaned himself. He reached a hand towards that mop of mussed blond hair, but stopped himself abruptly. He shook his head and pushed silently through the door and then swiftly for the oncologist's floor.

* * *

 

Chase woke feeling groggy and a little nauseated. His body felt stiff from an unconventional sleeping position and his forearm was damp from his apparent drooling. By the sun flashing on his face as he sat up, he guessed it was early afternoon. He blinked several times before fully opening his eyes and taking in his surroundings. His eyes widened when he realized he was in his work clothes, his lab coat around him, and definitely not at home. Then next thing he saw was House's motorcycle jacket hanging on the coat rack. He jumped up and three thoughts ran through his head at once.

One, that he had spent the early morning through to the afternoon on house's office couch.

Two, he dreamed that House had kissed him last night.

Three, house's coat was hanging up and his gloves lay on the desk with his newly relocated bag and that meant… That house had come in, seen him sleeping and DIDN'T wake him.

He was dumbfounded. House reveled in causing his ducklings discomfort. That he allowed him to continue to sleep on his couch for possibly hours spoke a word of caution to him. House was ignoring something. Ignoring him. Why would he ignore him? Unless the dreamed kiss wasn't a dream... Chase sank back to the couch suddenly sure of it. The dream had been too intricate and the details still so sharp. It wasn't his first dream of the sort. But if he thought it was a dream... He talked in his sleep. According to past lovers; usually with accuracy to his dreams... Chase groaned and buried his face in his hands. Then he jumped up. He could still get out of the hospital unnoticed by the diagnostician.

He rushed from the room, not noticing his two coworkers walking toward the conference room from the other direction as he tore off towards the stairs, knowing the stairs were at least safe.

"Whoa, what's up with him? Maybe we should have woken him up earlier." Cameron said with a low whistle of surprise. Foreman just shook his head and continued into the room to brew some coffee.

Chase was out of the hospital, in his car, out of his car and in his apartment before he let himself truly breathe. He shrugged out of his stale clothing on his way to the bathroom, intent on taking a shower. It was his day off, so he let his shoulders relax from their pent up position as he started the tub faucet and turned to glance at himself in the mirror. He didn't look any different, but he felt dizzy and angry and happy and nauseated all at the same time. He shook his head to try and shake the myriad of feelings and stepped into the filling tub and settled down in the hot water. The blonde thumped his head against the tiled wall and tried not to scream with frustration.

What had House been thinking? Was he trying to get him to quit? He loved this job. He couldn't just quit could he? Well, if House kept this up… maybe. But the man had ignored him today, which meant that he probably hadn't anticipated his own actions either. Did that mean he had wanted to kiss him? Despite the hot water, Chase felt a shiver course through his body. Instead of acknowledging how fuzzy that possibility made his stomach feel, he started to scrub his body with fervor.

Later, he was curled up on the couch with a bowl of soup and general hospital playing when the doorbell rang. Chase stiffened. He had no friends outside of work... which meant it was someone from work. He went to the door puzzled. After a moment's hesitation, he opened it.

Dr. Wilson stood looking concernedly up at him.

"Uh... May I help you, Dr. Wilson?" Wilson cracked a smile and asked to come in. The Australian backed up to let the oncologist inside and awkwardly gestured towards the couch. Wilson sat for a moment looking at Chase with his puppy dog eyes.

Finally Chase found his curiosity too much and asked again, "Is there something I can do for you?"

Wilson cocked his head, "Maybe." Dissatisfied with the vague answer Chase gestured for the man to continue.

"House told me he kissed you last night." Chase spluttered. The doctor held up his hand and continued, "I know, I know, it's not really any of my business but I need you to know something."

Chase was still red from embarrassment, "What? That it was some cruel joke to get me fired? Well I already know that. And I'm not going to quit!"

Wilson smiled slightly, "Robert. It wasn't a joke." Instead of answering, the blond just stared at him dumbly.

"Look. I've known House for a very long time. I can tell when he is joking and when he is serious. I don't think he knows fully why he kissed you yet but he did and he liked it." Chase was flabbergasted. There was no way Wilson could be involved in this cruel joke too? Which meant he was telling the truth?

"Wh-"

"Hang on a minute. I need you listen. He is going to ignore you first, then torment you beyond any reason. He will do this because I think he has feelings for you. Once he figures out he has feelings for you he will ignore you once again." Wilson paused and seemed to be waiting for acknowledgment that the younger man understood. Chase swallowed and nodded weakly. "You can do whatever you want with this... But if you have... Feelings for him in return... I suggest you do as I say."

Chase wanted to get indignant and spout off that he hated the poorly behaved bastard but he couldn't do it.

Instead he asked," How'd you know?"

Wilson just tilted his head back, and said, "You carry your emotion in your eyes. I see how you watch him." Chase was mortified and about to ask if House knew. "No, House is oblivious, as are your coworkers I imagine. It takes someone who is looking for it to see it. But I have seen it," He paused then said lightly, "House has a preference to you as well." Chase quirked his head in confusion. "Even if he doesn't know it, he gives you the tasks you like, he doesn't make you do many of his clinic hours, and he stares at you when you aren't looking."

Chase blushed. He had always felt singled out as the one house hated the most but he could see now that his bark was worse than his bite.

"Now. If you want him then you'll need to get through until he torments you and then starts ignoring you again. When he starts doing that, then you need to push him. Pursue him almost. Make it so you are alone together. Talk to him directly." Chase nodded eyes wide.

Wilson took a deep breath, "It's not going to be easy, but once he is pushed to the limit, then he will break down and he might accept his feelings."

"Might?"

Wilson looked down sadly, "Yes he might. This isn't a guarantee but I know it's the only way for a chance." Chase was silent for a moment then queried, "Why do you think I should do this?" "Because I want House to be happy and I think his best chance at that is you."

Chase thanked him for his advice and saw him out. He slumped to the floor behind the door and cradled his head in his hands. It was so much to take in. House had liked kissing him? He should have asked the older doctor what made him think that. Chase couldn't think his way around this mess, so he decided to forget it for the moment, and focus on enjoying his day off.

He re-warmed his bowl of soup and turned up the TV to try and forget that he would have to deal with the rough diagnostician tomorrow. He briefly wondered what it would feel like to initiate a kiss with the older man, before he mentally shook the thought out. There would be plenty of time for self-torture tomorrow.


	2. Chapter 2

House slammed his fist against his office desk with frustration. Wilson was so unhelpful that he was almost helpful; telling him that this could be his chance at romance if he didn't fuck it up.

Ugh.

If he were truly honest with himself, he could admit that this wasn't the first time he had thought about his youngest duckling that way. He remembered his utter astonishment when he realized he'd had his first wet dream since middle school about his blond employee.

But then again, when was he honest with anyone? Least of all himself.

The famous diagnostician was early. The sun was just peeking into the windows and his team wouldn't be in for another hour yet. Wilson would be here in 20 minutes.

There was no way this could work. First of all, Chase didn't like him. He respected him, maybe, but like? No. Secondly, House in no way shape or form liked the blond either.

He had said as much to Wilson, as loudly as possible. The oncologist had just given him that knowing look that he usually gave when he knew House was lying. House admitted, albeit grudgingly, that he found the younger man attractive. But just because he found him attractive didn't mean that he liked him at all.

It just meant his eyes worked.

Wilson just asked, "Was that all that made you kiss him?"

House nodded curtly and left with Wilson still persisting that he ask Chase what he thought of it all.

Wilson was insane.

But that still just left him thinking of ways to deal with his rash act of kissing the Aussie. He would have to ignore him until he figured out how he would react.

He barely let himself think about why he had kissed Chase. He had better things to do. Like planning how best to ignore his favorite employee.

Chase came into the hospital on time. He clocked in before Foreman and Cameron was already there, being early every day.

He put his stuff in his locker and blew out a huge breath. He only realized that he had left his lunch at home when he opened the staff fridge to find he had nothing to put in it.

He was a nervous wreck.

Fortunately he had his wallet so he could eat that day, but he had been looking forward to finding a secluded spot to eat his homemade lunch. Instead of risking the cafeteria and seeing House. Or Wilson for that matter. He didn't know if he could bear that searching puppy dog gaze that he would get as the kind man tried to ascertain his decisions toward 'the situation'.

He had begun to call it that in his head because it was easier than calling it, 'my boss kissed me and I liked it and his best friend thinks we should go out'.

He wasn't ready for this. His stomach was tied in knots and if House was going to ignore him, he didn't want to deal with the questions from his coworkers.

Ugh.

He finally got up the courage and left the staff break-room, making his way over to House's office.

He greeted Cameron, who was pouring over some medical journal about sarcomas and immediately regretted it.

Her eyes snapped up and she smiled, "So. Are you going to tell me who you were kissing on Saturday?"

"Have you been waiting for a chance to jump me about this? Jesus, Cameron. I wasn't kissing anyone!"

Just then Foreman came in, "Yes, you were, but I thought I told you to stop pestering him, Allison."

Foreman yawned and went over to the coffee maker to pour himself a cup.

Chase blushed and avoided Cameron's smirk.

"I'm not telling you, so quit looking at me that way," he muttered sullenly.

Fortunately Foreman started a conversation about the sarcoma journal she was reading and got her off his case, for the time being.

Chase got up and stood by the counter, wondering if caffeine would make his jumpiness worse. When he yawned and thought about his near sleepless nights, he grabbed a mug, deciding he needed it.

He immediately thought of himself pushed up onto that very counter with his boss's lips pressing urgently against his, House pushing in between his legs-

Whoa.

He shook his head to try and dispel the vivid memory, realizing that he had frozen with the coffee mug in midair.

He had just begun to pour coffee into it when he heard the door push open and House's rough voice state that they had a case.

He froze. Again. He was going to have to stop doing that.

This caused him to overfill the mug and hot coffee spilt on his hand.

"Ahh!" He cried in pain.

"Are you ok?" Cameron asked coming over to see what happened, "Here hold it under some cold water. Is your mind on other things, hmm?" She gave him a suggestive smirk.

Chase flushed scarlet, but House continued talking behind him as if there had been no verbal disruption.

Chase and Cameron returned to the table and looked at the files about the case.

12 year old with abnormal breathing and symptoms of liver failure but tests had shown that his liver was fine.

They each gave their ideas and House wrote down Cameron's and Forman's. When he didn't write Chase's, the other two looked at him. Chase just shrugged wearily. So this is how it was going to be. House quickly gave directions, purposely excluding Chase, and turned to leave, quickly disappearing in the direction of the clinic.

Foreman and Cameron turned to stare questioningly at Chase.

"Look, I don't know what I've done this time so you're wasting your breath asking me. You're better off asking him."

He shoved away from the desk and decided that if he was going to be excluded from working here he would go down to the ICU and see if he could do anything there. Anything to keep him busy and his mind off House.

House angrily lumbered towards his first patient in exam room three. He had barely handled himself with Chase in the same room. Chase had been looking at him with a really strange expression, that didn't seem to be hatred or confusion or annoyance. Which meant that he knew that the kiss hadn't been an elaborate joke. House was kind of hoping for that reaction so he could play it off as 'asshole Greg again'. At least Chase was wearing another one of his horrendous combinations of colors today. Seriously, a green sweater vest and neon orange shirt?

House threw open the door and prowled into the room, encountering no one. He took a quick confused glance at the chart in his hand, shrugged and hopped up on the exam table, prepared to think angry thoughts in Chase's direction until Cuddy came to chase him out again.

Just as he thought he might actually be able to nap, the door opened up and Wilson came in. House took one look at his expression and shook his head vigorously, "Nope. It's not happening. I'm not doing anything."

"I see that, you scared him all the way to the ER. I just saw him wandering aimlessly after Doctor Rinald. He looks like you kicked him."

"I didn't do anything," House said petulantly.

Wilson sighed and put his hands on his hips, "But you didn't not do anything. You ignored him. From the looks of it, pretty thoroughly."

"I can do whatever I want with my employees."

"Not if I tell Cuddy what happened."

House's head snapped up, "You wouldn't."

"Oh, but I would! You can't just ignore it, it'll just get worse. Foreman and Cameron are just going to get more suspicious and then Cuddy will too. I might as well tell her know and save her the trouble." Wilson looked vaguely smug as he delivered this threat.

House was quiet for a moment then he asked slowly, "Why do you want me to do this?"

Wilson looked at him with what can only be described as a fond expression and just turned around, and left without saying a word.

House blew out a breath and smacked his cane on the auxiliary table next to the exam bed, effectively scaring the patient that came in at the same moment.

The young woman jumped and screamed a little at the sound and the sight of a petulant looking House on the table, and took a step back into the hall.

"Oh fine! Come in, and shut the door."

She followed his instructions and awkwardly came to stand by the bed.

"Well? Have a seat."

She sat in the chair usually reserved for the clinic doctor. House stared at her until she fidgeted.

"Have you ever made a mistake, but you kind of liked the mistake so you don't know whether to regret it or enjoy it?"

The woman looked startled and stammered, "Wh-what does this have to do with my symp-"

"It doesn't. Just answer the question."

She took a minute to think before answering softly, "Of course. I've made a few mistakes like that. Sometimes they turn out to not be mistakes, but sometimes they do."

"How do you tell which outcome it will be?" House almost whispered back.

"You can't."

House took that in and then suddenly jumped up. He strode to the door and grabbed the door handle about to leave.

"Wait! What about my problem?!"

"Well, I don't care much for mine, so yea, let's have a look at yours. The woman sat down in the clinic chair again before House stared at her, "That's my chair," he pointed to the bed, "That's yours. Geez don't they teach you anything in college?"

She blushed and switched seats. "I'm not –"

"I don't care. Now let's see…" House perused the file for a few seconds. "Well that's not fair, I was kind of hoping for a harder one. You have a bad urinary tract infection. Drink lots of water and cranberry juice and take these pills until the pain goes away." He quickly wrote a script and got up to leave again, "And for God's sake, quit taking baths."

He left quickly. Instead of complaining about his clinic hours, he threw himself into the task to distract himself from constant flashbacks of what Chase's lips felt like against his.

Cuddy made no comments but he knew he would need to start acting more normally if he were to escape interrogation.

By lunch time, he had seen and diagnosed more patients than he had in six months. He was sick of overly worried mothers, and teenagers trying to hide that they were smoking pot from their parents. He hated the clinic. It was boring. Cameron and Foreman came up to him as he limped towards the elevators. The usual answers 'tox screen was negative' blah blah blah. All stuff he had figured out while he pondered the case in between patients that morning.

"We should do Chase's idea. Go search the house."

House ignored Cameron's statement and ordered the pair to do three more tests that they could do now that toxins and genetics could be ruled out. He walked into the elevator and stopped them from commenting by closing the doors with his cane.

He quickly got his coat and wallet and made his way back downstairs. He didn't want to go to the cafeteria and he didn't want to go to the staff lounge, both places that he might see Chase. He would rather take his chances at the café down the street.

He got in and ordered a philly cheese steak sandwich with pepper jack cheese and stood off to the side, looking at the wall generic black and white photos as he waited for it. He had his back to the register when he heard a familiar Australian Accent order a swiss and rye sandwich with a dill pickle.

He groaned out loud. Chase didn't see him until the cook handed him his food and he tried to leave without the other man noticing him. No such luck. A soft voice said his name and he forced himself not to look into those bright blue eyes he knew would be searching him for a reaction. He kept going. He thought that chase wouldn't do anything more, but he did. He grabbed his arm.

"Are you seriously going to pretend I don't exist?"

Without thinking or looking at the man, House bit out, "You don't," and tore his arm from the gentle hold and limped swiftly from the store.

If he had looked back, he would have seen Chase's face crumple into a devastated expression.

But he didn't.

Chase felt like going back home and crawling into bed. He left the café, forgetting entirely that he had been hungry and that he ordered food. He walked around the block aimlessly before going back into the hospital and heading back into the ICU. He went about some duties that Rinald and expressed that he needed done with hardly a thought to any of them.

He couldn't work like this. He was on his way to Cuddy's office to tell her he needed the day off but stopped. He didn't need her wondering what was wrong. It was bad enough having Foreman and Cameron giving him puzzled looks.

Oh god, and if any of them found out? Chase shuddered at the hell he would catch from each of them.

He turned back around and went to grab his stuff. He would just leave. House wouldn't notice and nobody else would know or care.

On his way out he saw Wilson heading towards him, but he just hurried out to his car. He didn't want to talk to him just right now.

He didn't know why House's comment had hurt him so much, but it had. He felt more depressed than he had when he first moved to America by himself.

The Australian stayed true to his plan and undressed, pulled on some sweatpants, and crawled into bed, intent on staying there until he felt better or House got his head out of his arse. Neither of which sounded likely.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry its been so long. Here is chapter 3.   
> Loves and Hell Fire,  
> ~PT

Accidentally  
The next week and a half continued in the same fashion. Chase would show up to work, even though he loathed it every time he walked into House's office and watched him look everywhere but at him. House would entirely ignore him and Chase would go work in the ICU, getting more and more depressed by the day. He couldn't keep working like this, and if he did and Wilson was right, House could turn around any moment and start to pay too much attention to him. Tormenting him in such a different way than before that Chase knew that he would break.

Doctor Rinald was starting to expect his help, saying, "Won't be too long before we get you a job down here. I'll have a word with Dr. Cuddy." The old man winked at him and handed him some files.

Chase was starting to think that it wouldn't be such a bad idea to stop working for House, he was thinking about it more and more.

It wasn't until the day was almost over that House finally acknowledged Chase's existence again.

Chase was headed back upstairs to grab his belongings before heading home and he saw House and Wilson heading out through the lobby. He tried to make it easy and skirted the edge trying to get to the stairs.

"Chase!"

He stopped, and looked back, his muscles tensing and his eyes widening. This was what he had been dreading and hoping for at the same time.

"Don't think I haven't noticed your absence from your actual work. You don't get paid for working in the ER for that old guy. Half pay for this week and last. Also, you'll be taking my clinic hours this weekend. 16 hours! See ya!"

It didn't matter what had come out of House's mouth, it was that cold look as he finally met Chase's eyes for the first time since they kissed that hurt him.

House looked at him with such an expression of loathing that Chase almost shuddered.

Chase just turned away and went upstairs. At least he had made it to phase two.

 

House had tried his best to both ignore his problem as well as trying to act normally which was difficult and he didn't think he managed very well, or at all. It was just that whenever he did look at Chase - whenever the man wasn't paying attention - he saw dejection and this tired understanding. It was crazy... Unless...

"You bastard."

Wilson looked up at the exclamation and his door swinging wide enough to cause damage to the opposing wall.

"Well actually my father was a pharmacologist."

Undeterred by Wilson's detour, House just closed the door and sank sullenly into the chair opposite him.

"Why did you talk to him?"

Instead of furthering his pretended ignorance, Wilson studied his friend.  
House looked jittery and on edge.

"He deserved to know what was ahead of him."

"This isn't one of my ‘normal’ courtships. I'm not going after him. He isn't going after me."

"I just gave him some advice on how to handle you. I think it's saved him some heartache. If only a little." Wilson had definitely noticed Chase's downcast attitude.

"Chase doesn't have any heartache. I don't have any heartache."

"All I'm hearing is a lot of denial," Wilson said quietly and turned towards his paperwork once more.

"What are you 'advising' that I do then?"

"Oh I don't know, stop ignoring him? Talk to him?" When he looked back up, House was twisting the doorknob and hastily lurching down the hall. It always surprised how fast he could move.

When it was time to leave, House angrily gathered his things and went to leave. Wilson followed close behind. When he saw Chase making his way through the lobby, he turned towards Wilson spitting, "you want me to stop ignoring him? You want me to talk to him? Fine."

If he had waited for Wilson's reaction he would have seen him roll his eyes with a knowing expression as he waiting for House to do his worst.

House was pretty mean, even by his standards.

As they walked out, he couldn't stop thinking about Chase's reaction. He was obviously surprised and apprehensive to hear House speak to him, but as House keep attacking him his face just fell more as if a threatening storm had finally come and he could stop worrying about when it would arrive.

He tried not to wince at that.

"Shut up," he muttered to Wilson, preemptively. He only heard a sad chuckle from his friend as they parted ways in the parking lot.

Refusing to think about his blond employee at all, he threw himself entirely into making a meager dinner of ramen noodles for himself and then to playing to piano for hours. The melodies usually helped soothe his mind but he still felt nervy and angry by the time in was eleven. He tottered to bed, popping Vicodin as he tried one last time to forget the feeling of having Chase moaning into his mouth.

In the darkness of his room, he let himself remember that moment, and because he was a glutton for punishment his mind wandered to the 'what ifs' of if he hadn't stopped the kiss. If he hadn't pulled away from those soft, full lips. What if he had slid his hands down Chase's back? What if Chase had pulled him closer and locked his legs around his waist?

House full out growled at the empty room, stubbornly moving his mind to meaningless things such as how to ruin Taub's marriage and counting and recounting his pills, trying to get his hard on to vanish. The rest of the night he tossed and turned as he had to mentally wrest his mind from thoughts of the Aussie.

 

Chase was feeling slightly better this morning. He had woken up early to an unexpected call from one of his residency friends who announced that he was getting married and would like him to be his best man. He was excited to see his friend again as well as go back home for the first time in many years. The wedding was soon and he would need to get there early to help out with the plans. Thinking about asking the time off from House brought his mood down a little but he still walked into Plainsboro with his head high unlike the previous weeks.

Before he even got three feet in the door, he tripped and fell flat on his face, barely catching himself on his palms. House whistled jauntily as he untangled his cane from Chase's feet and continued on to where Wilson waited by the elevators.

His good mood evaporated, Chase scowled and stormed to the diagnostic floor. He had endured another week of House's taunts but he felt ready to blow.  
It was hard to believe that it was just eight days ago that House had looked at him with that dead look. Just eight days ago that Chase truly descended into this personal hell.   
House had raked him over the coals every day and Cameron and Foreman stopped even looking at him, afraid to catch whatever had made the famous diagnostician snap at his favorite employee. 

Chase spent most of his time doing the most pointless things that reminded him of his worst days of medical school. He blew out a frustrated breath while he did his 50th enema for the day and tried to send his thoughts towards Australia. He would enjoy Sydney, maybe even see an opera. He could take two weeks off. It’s not like he used his vacation or sick time often. The only thing standing in his way was House.  
It wasn’t until two days later that he actually got up the nerve to single House out and ask him for the time off. His friend was having what Americans call a ‘shotgun wedding’ and he would be getting married in three weeks. He wanted to be there the week before to hang out with his friend and plan the bachelor party and then the next week he could enjoy his home country alone.   
House was sitting at his desk with his feet propped up on his desk, stuffing his face with Chinese take-out and laughing at something on his small television.   
Chase took a step up and was surprised when the famous diagnostician looked up and focused on him immediately. He hadn’t said anything yet.   
House’s eyes were wary, as if he were afraid of what Chase had to say. Chase wanted to laugh, or cry, at that. Chase was the one afraid of what House might say.   
“I-“  
“I don’t care.”  
Chase shut his mouth with a snap. Of course this wasn’t going to be easy.  
“I’m asking for two weeks off. I would have to leave by the end of the month. My best mate is-“  
“No,” House said, looking down at his food, but not taking a bite.   
“I don’t have to ask you. I was just being polite. I’ll get approval through Cuddy.”  
“No.” This time it seemed as if the diagnostician wasn’t even hearing him.  
“Why the hell are you doing this? This wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t kissed me!”  
House was up and out of his chair, and around the desk much faster than a cripple should be able too. Chase barely refrained from taking a step back as the enraged man got into his face.   
“If I hadn’t kissed you? You kissed me back! You mean if you hadn’t been asking for it! With your puppy dog eyes and your color combinations. Jesus, do you even know-“ He stopped and ran a hand over his mouth before saying, “I didn’t ask for this,” House gestured franticly at the Australian, “and I want it to stop!”  
Chase was dumbfounded but still managed to say, “I’m not in charge of the attraction you feel for me.”  
House stared coldly at him, even more coldly then that day he stopped ignoring him and said, “Get out.”  
Chase simply turned and went.   
His mind was racing. Was this part of the plan that Wilson had? Or was this a wild card? Did House seriously just admit to being attracted to him? What was he supposed to do now?   
He ended up leaving for the day, unable to think of anything else, and unsure of what to do next.


End file.
